Automatic oiling device.



No. 739,745. ISATBNTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

G. w. THURSTON.

AUTOMATIC? OILING DEVICE. APPLICATION funn un. sa'. moa.

nis-umm mns no?, moro-umu., wnsumsmn. uc.

UNITED STATES Patented september 22, 190e.

PATENT ei-"EEICE.

AUTOMATIC 0| LING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters APatent No. 739,745, dated September 22, 1903.

Application iiled March 23, 1903.

serial No. 149,191. (no man.)

*A of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic OilingDevices, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates, primarily, to oling devices for oiling the piston of an air-compressor, and is an improvement on the patent issued to me November 25, 1902, No. 714,337; and the object thereof is toprovide an etti-2 cient and veconomical device which willfurnish the amount of ,oil to properly lubricate' the piston as it is needed and only when the compressor is running. object by the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* f Figure l is a side elevation of an air pump or compressor used in the air-brake systemI on railroad-trains with my automatic oiling device applied thereto. section of so much of my oiling device as illustrates my present improvement.

In the drawings, A is the oil cup or reservoir, having port B in the bottom thereof.

C is the ordinary regulatingscrew,by means of .which the ow of oil D through port B is controlled. This screw may be provided with a central air-duct C', extending longitudinally therethrough and about one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter. (Shown in dotted lines.) This duct may be omitted; but I prefer to use it. Surrounding port B is a boss A', which is exteriorly threaded and screws into the enlarged top E of the tube E upon plate a to hold said plate rmly on' its seat in said tube. This plate has a boss through which and throughthe plate is a port AB', which is a continuation of port B. In the lower portion of tube E is the downwardlyopening check-valve F, which permits the oil to pass down in the tube whenever a'vacnnm or partial vacuum is produced in the upper part of the air-compressor b. It is held normally closed or seated by spring G. The opening through tube E is constricted at and just above the check-valve. The lower portion of this constricted portion forms a valve-seat II for the check-valve, and the upper portion thereof forms a support for the I accomplish this` Fig. 2 is a central' glass sight-tube I, whose lower` end has grooves lextending therethrough, so that air may pass under the sight-tube as well as vover the top thereof, as I have foundby experience that if all the air comes over the top of the sight-tube the oil is sometimes blown into aspray instead of dropping, as it is better for it to do, so that the engineer may be able to see just how fast the oil is being fed into the compressor. The external diameter of this tube is about one-sixteenth .of an inch less than the internal diameter of tube E. Resting upon the top of the check-valve is feed-needle J, having a cylindrical stem J at the top adapted to close port B when the check-valve F is seatedso that no oil will flow out of the reservoir except when the compressor is running.

At the base of stem J is a circular groove K, having an opening L in the bottom thereof. -In this opening I drop a small wire M, which guides the oil passing through the opening and causes it to drop in smaller drops thanif it were not used. It maybe omitted, if desired; but I prefer its use, because I prewfer to have the oil dropped in small drops.

The lower portion J" of the feednieedle is also cylindrical. In this portion of the needle is a groove N, which permits the oil to pass down to the check-valve. Alrecess O is provided in the side for the reception of the end of screw P, which prevents the feed-nee-v dle from rotating, thereby enabling the end .of wire M to be seenthrough sight-port R in tube E. This screw could be placed so that the end thereof would enter groove N and the recess omitted. By this improvement should the compressor stand idle the oil is automatically shut od from the reservoir until it is started up again, thereby economizing the use of oil. If desired, the feed-needle could be made integral with the check-valve, thereby forming a stem on the top or upper end of the check-valve which would close the port when the compressor was not running.

Having described my invention, ywhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isan g In an automatic oiling device for lubricating the piston of an air-compressor the combination of an oil-reservoir having a port in the bottom thereof; a tube connected to said reservoir and coniniiinioatng with the oomneedle in said tube adapted to close the port presser, said tube having a oonstrioted porin the reservoir when the check-valve is tion, the under surface of said constricted closed. portion forming a valve-seat, and an opening 'In Witness that claim the foregoing I have 5 above said oonstricted portionadapted to form hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day I5 a sight-port; a glass tube having grooves in of March, 1908.

the lower end thereof and arranged loosely GLENN WV. THURSTON. in said tube above the constrioted portion; Witnesses: an upwardly-closing check-valve in said tube W. C. PELLS,

ro below said constricted portion; and a feed- G. M. DILLARD. 

